


the end of yesterday

by Whiskeyjack



Category: Dishonored (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Inspired by a video game, The Last of Us - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-07-18 09:03:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7308613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whiskeyjack/pseuds/Whiskeyjack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the end of the world, and all they have left is each other.</p>
<p>Father-daughter fic inspired by The Last of Us.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning of the end

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to [@ashesintheair](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashesintheair) for helping me edit this!!
> 
> Title is from the song [Endgame](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gX2kDsaYg0) by Rise Against.

Corvo’s phone rang, and he picked it up, shouldering it under his left ear as his hands went back to the steering wheel.

“Corvo? Where are you-” The voice on the other side was interrupted by a scream, and he could hear the sound of glass breaking.

“I'm in the ute. What do you want, Daud?” Corvo had no patience for him right now, all he wanted was to pick Jessamine up, and get them out of the city safely. He had an old family farmhouse out near Bristol, that's where they were heading.

“Listen, I know you're heading out now” Another scream rang out in the background. “I need a ride. My car got totalled.”

Corvo sighed loudly, knowing that it would carry over the line. “Fine. If you can get to the workshop. I need to pick some things up from there, anyway.”

“Thanks, mate. I owe you one.” The call ended and Corvo threw his phone onto the passenger seat. He turned to look in the back seat, where Emily was perched on her knees looking back at the house getting smaller in the distance.

“Hey, Em.” He glanced forward quickly to check the road, then back at her again. “You okay?”

He barely saw her nod, then she turned and sat down on the seat. 

“Yeah.” She bit her bottom lip, then climbed into the front seat next to Corvo, picking up his phone and placing it in the cupholder next to the radio. 

“Was that Uncle Daud? Are we going to Bristol with him?”

“Not all the way to Bristol.”  _ Hopefully. _ “He just needs a ride out of the city.”

“Okay.” She settled in the seat, clipping on the seatbelt. “As long as he doesn't eat all my animal shapes again.” She huffed a little at that.

Corvo chuckled, and ruffled her hair. “I'll make sure he doesn't touch ‘em.”

* * *

It took them several more hours than expected to reach the car dealership where he worked. Traffic had, predictably, been clogged up on the motorway heading out, but once he turned off onto his exit, the streets were eerily empty.

They hopped out of the truck, and Corvo opened the workshop door as quietly as he could, the metal making the tiniest echo of a screech as he did so. He turned on the light once Emily was in, mostly for her benefit — he could find his way around the workshop with his eyes closed — and started packing up his toolbox.

Emily, meanwhile, went to check the refrigerator in the break room. “Dad, should we bring some of this stuff?”

He paused for a moment, trying to remember what was in there.  _ Milk, cheese, tomato sauce, soggy bread… _ “Yeah, grab everything.” Remembering that his boss kept the key to the break room vending machine in his office, Corvo went to retrieve it.

Even though it was an emergency, he felt a twinge of guilt at unlocking the machine and shoving the snacks into a duffel bag.  _ If this is ever over… I hope Hiram doesn't make me pay for all these snacks. _ He picked up a bag of animal shapes, the ones that Emily loved so much, and grinned.

“Hey kid, catch.” He threw the packet at her, and she turned just in time for it to land in her hands. She giggled, then tore open the bag and popped a biscuit into her mouth.

There was a clanging sound from the door, like someone was banging on it from the outside. Emily froze, but Corvo picked up a nearby wrench and hefted it in his hand as he approached the door. It shook again.

“Corvo it's me. I know you're here, I can see your fucking truck. Lost my keys with the damn car.”

Corvo raised the door up a little to let him in, and Daud grumbled as he crouched down to enter. He grunted, squinting in the light, shaking rain off his jacket as he smoothed his hair back.

“Where's Jess?”

“Still at the campus.” Corvo shot Daud a glare before he can respond. “I'm trying not to think about it, okay?”

“I'm sure she's fine,” Daud said, but Corvo could sense the doubt in his voice.

He finished packing up his tools and the rest of the snacks, then tossed the bag next to the door, ready to be picked up when they leave.

“All done, kid?” He poked his head into the break room. Emily was putting the last milk carton in a cold bag.

“Yep!” She zipped the bag up, and slung the straps over her shoulders, wearing it like a backpack.

“Hi Uncle Daud.” Emily waved at Daud when she saw him in the garage. She muffled a laugh when she noticed his jacket was still wet from the rain. “Wet uncle.”

“Let's go.” Corvo picked up the duffel, then turned off the lights as Daud lifted the door up for Emily to scramble under. He locked it, and they piled the bags into the back carriage of the truck before getting in.

Emily climbed into the passenger seat before Daud could reach it, shaking herself from the cold rain. Corvo cursed mentally. He hated driving in the rain.

“We're going to go pick mom up, okay?” he said to Emily, though it is for Daud’s benefit as well.

She nodded, drawing her knees up to tuck under her chin. Corvo doesn't comment about her getting her wet shoes on the car seat. Given the circumstances, that's kind of what he feels like doing now too. But he needs to get Jessamine first, make sure she's safe.

They avoid the motorway this time; Corvo knows the roads well enough to get there from memory, but it still takes longer than he'd like to reach the university where Jessamine works.

The sharp red glow of emergency vehicles was reflected on the wet road and in the misty night air as they drew closer. Corvo’s heart dropped to the soles of his feet as he realized why they were there. His hands went numb as he gripped the steering wheel and pulled up next to one of the people standing around the cordon. They wore a bright yellow hazmat suit and had a clipboard in their hands. They finally noticed Corvo’s truck when he wound the window down.

“Hang on, sir, this is a quarantine area,” they said, somewhat belatedly. The red glow cast an eerie reflection on their visor.

“Yes, I can see that.” He glanced up at the cordon. There was a wire fence set up around the perimeter, and he could see some of the faculty staff milling inside it. He looked for Jessamine, even though he knew he probably wasn't going to spot her. “My wife works here; I’m supposed to pick her up.”

“No one leaves or enters, sir. Sorry about that. I’m just following orders.” They waved him on, and Corvo had no choice but to drive away.

He pulled over in a side street, away from the main thoroughfare but the red glow still permeated the surroundings. The wire fence was around this area too. He turned off the engine, then dug around under his seat for a bolt cutter.

“Dad?” Emily’s voice tremored slightly. She'd been remarkably brave about the whole affair so far, but now that they were so close only to be told she won't be joining them… Corvo couldn't bear for that to happen to her. “Are you going to go find mom?”

“Yeah.” He smoothed down her hair, and flicked her fringe over her ear. It’s something he had always done when she was scared, to try and distract her. But this time he knew it wasn't going to be enough.

“Daud -” Corvo turned in his seat, but the other man unbuckled his seatbelt before Corvo could say anything.

“Corvo!” A voice called out in the dark.

“Mom!” Emily cried, hands on the dash as she pressed her face to the windshield. Corvo jumped out of the car, running to the fence.

“Jess, god.” He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but still couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Her fingers curled around the chain link of the fence, and he brought his hand up to cover them as best as he could. She smiled, though he couldn't help but notice she seemed paler than usual, even in the dim light.

“Hang on, I'll get you out in a sec.” He started cutting a hole in the fence with the bolt cutters. It was slow going; he had to cut each link individually to make a hole big enough for her to get through without hurting herself. Finally he cut the last link, pulling the wire up.

Jessamine crawled through and she was almost out when suddenly she screamed, and was pulled back. A spotlight shone on her as she clawed frantically at the ground, fingers scrambling to find purchase, grabbed at the ankle by a soldier wearing a gas mask. Corvo ducked his arms under, then grabbed her hands and tried to pull her forward. Her screams increased in pitch as another soldier ran forward to help his companion, and Corvo was dragged forward by the momentum, face pressed into the fence, forearms cut and bleeding from the broken links.

“She's too far gone!” One of the soldiers said and he took out a gun even as Corvo’s mouth began to form a scream of protest, but it was too late. The gunshot echoed into the dark and a yell rang in Corvo’s ears that he dimly registered as his own. Jessamine’s blood was splattered on his arms but even then he tried to drag her forward.

The other soldier kicked the fence, knocking him back violently. He got up, grabbed the fence and shook it, screaming her name as the soldiers dragged her body away.

Daud grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Corvo could see that he was yelling, but he couldn't hear the words; his ears were still ringing. Daud gritted his teeth, and lifted Corvo up, dragging him back to the truck.

The truck.  _ Emily! _ The realisation she had seen it all comes crashing down around his mind, and it was too much for him to bear as he fell to his knees, sobbing.

“Come on, we gotta get outta here!” Daud grabbed him by the arm again. “They're gonna be coming around to this side soon.”

Corvo climbed into the back seat of the truck, where Emily was already curled up into a ball, muffled sobs escaping as she hid her face in her knees. She crawled into his arms when he closed the door, and he hugged her tightly, trying to hold her together even as her cries threatened to break her apart. The angry glow of light faded as they drove away, but Corvo could still see it burned into the back of his eyelids.


	2. 5 Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange woman presents Corvo with a proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to finish this. I finally completed it during NaNo last month, and so I thought I'd put the rest of it up for Christmas. Haven't got accompanying images for the chapters yet, but hopefully before the year is out.

 

 _For people like us_  
_In places like this_  
_We need all the hope_ _  
That we can get_

The outbreak had started slow. No one noticed an increase in the population of rats in London, because why would they? It wasn't until people witnessed them attacking the homeless that they started paying attention. It was unthinkable, like something out of a horror movie, something that was hard to imagine happening in a modern city.

Still, they went on about their lives, unperturbed by the freak occurrences. It could never happen to us, they thought. So the rats got braver, and began attacking people in the street. They didn't kill any more, but the survivors might as well have been dead. They were called weepers, from the tracks of black blood running from their eyes down their faces, and from the skin crawling cries they made.

Hospitals were full within the week. Soon, the numbers grew until they were spilling out onto the streets. That's when the government decided it was a problem.

**5 years later**

Corvo awoke with a jolt, fingers in a death grip on the sheets. He had been dreaming about that night again, and his scars ached. It was still raining outside; he could hear the steady drum of it on the metal roof. Corvo couldn't remember the last time it wasn't raining.

He checked his watch - it was just past 5 in the morning. It was still early, but he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

Today was the anniversary of Jessamine’s death. He sat on the edge of the bed, arms perched on his knees, staring at the scars on his arms and allowing himself to indulge in a brief moment of grief. A shaky sigh escaped his throat and he ground his eyes into the base of his fists, as if to crush the tears that were threatening to form.

He didn't know how they managed to get out. The days after they left Southampton were a haze to him, too grief stricken to remember any details, only that Daud had left them somewhere along the way, and he had to drive the rest of the way to the house in Bristol. By then, the last thing he had wanted to do was clean a house, but he couldn't just drown his sorrows at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Emily needed him. So he made a game of it with her, and together they managed to carve something liveable out of the old farmhouse.

Corvo pushed himself off the bed and got dressed for the day. It would be hard for them both today, but hopefully the weather would clear up a little and they could work on fixing the shed outside. A tree had fallen into the roof during a thunderstorm a few weeks ago, and he'd only recently managed to barter in town for use of someone's tractor to remove the tree. Thankfully none of the equipment they kept in there got broken, but it still made working there difficult, what with there being a giant hole in the roof.

It was mid morning by the time Emily came down, and Corvo had already begun on the few small tasks they needed to do today.

“Hey dad.” Emily mumbled, still sleepy, but her voice sounded a little shakier than usual, like she had been crying. There were dark shadows under her eyes that didn't belong on a fifteen year old, and Corvo himself had more white than he cared for in his beard; the last five years had been hard on them. Least of which had to do with the outbreak.

“Hey kiddo.” Corvo got up from behind the table he was fixing. “You want some cereal?” It was the last box they had, but he figured it was a special occasion and she needed some comfort food.

“Okay.”

He poured her a bowl as she got out the bottle of milk from the fridge. The sky seemed to be a little brighter than it had been a few hours ago, and the rain had slowed to a medium drizzle.

“We should get out there and fix the shed while the rain’s light.” She came up to his side to grab the bowl, looking out the window and noticing the sky just as he had.

“Yeah. Once you're done with that.” He nudged her arm with his elbow, having a little fun at her expense for sleeping in. She blew her fringe out in annoyance, then smacked him lightly on the arm, moving off to sit at the counter.

Fixing that hole was slower going than Corvo expected. The rain made everything wet, so trying to position planks of wood was an exercise in patience and arm strength, as he held up the planks while Emily nailed them in place. Thankfully, it became a little easier when the drizzle got lighter, and they could even see a peek of sunshine through the clouds, just briefly.

They were just about to finish placing the last plank when Corvo heard a car pulling up. He picked up a nearby wrench, jamming it into the back pocket of his jeans, and climbed down from the roof.

“Stay there,” he called up to Emily. She nodded and disappeared from sight.

A woman stepped out of the car, her black suit and coat looking out of place with her surroundings. She had entirely too much eye shadow to go with her black lipstick, and looked far too clean. Corvo immediately distrusted her.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, Mr. Attano, you can. I have a… job offer for you, if you will.” She paused, clearly waiting for him to invite her into the house. When he didn't, she cleared her throat in annoyance, slicking back the hair that had gotten damp from the drizzle. “May we speak about it inside?”

“Sure. Let me just get my things.” He motioned for Emily to come down, then packed away his tools, leaving them in the small area of the shed which had remained dry.

“Who was that?” Emily asked as she jumped off the third rung on the ladder, shoes sliding on the wet wood.

“Don't do that please.” He left the wrench in his back pocket. “Dunno. Said she had a job for me. Let's go talk to her.”

When they were inside, Emily put some water on to boil. She always liked to have something hot to drink after working in the cold outside.

The woman had settled herself at the head of the dining table. She had her arms and legs crossed, and once again Corvo felt unsettled just looking at her. He brought two glasses of water and set them on the table, then sat in the chair beside her.

“Sorry, I didn't catch your name…?”

“Delilah. Copperspoon.” She didn't hold out a hand, likely noticing that Corvo’s hands were still dirty. “I knew your wife at the university.”

His breath catches in his throat. Surely it can't be coincidence that she's here on this day of all days. He does recall who she is now though; a friend of Jessamine’s in the arts faculty, but she didn't have anything flattering to say about the other woman.“Yes, I remember now. You seem to be doing alright, all things considered.” It's an understatement, if anything.

“Jess always did say you had a knack for stating the obvious.” Delilah chuckled quietly. “Very well then, I’ll get straight to the point. We need you to steal something for us.”

Corvo stiffened. “I don’t do that any more.”

She leaned forward, hands clasped together on the tabletop. “I understand, but please, consider the circumstances. Our competitor has reportedly produced a cure for the plague and yet they’re letting it sit in cold storage. Don’t you want to help save humanity, Corvo? Don't you want to make Jessamine proud?”

He slammed his glass on the table. “I know what you're trying to do. The answer is still no.”

“But don't you want to see her again?”

A chill ran down his back. “Jessamine is dead. I saw them shoot her.”

“But she lives! Look,” She took a photo out from inside her coat, and slid it across the table to Corvo.

He couldn't believe it. It was her, standing in front of a lab table, brow furrowed as she concentrated on something. It was an expression he was familiar with, part of the reason he had fallen in love with her. Half her face was hidden by hair that had fallen loose from her normal bun, but it was her.

It couldn't be possible. He saw them shoot her; she had practically died in his arms that day, the scars on his arms were testament to that. He didn't know how far he wanted to believe Delilah, but a surge of warmth had begun to grow in his chest. He felt something that he hadn't in a long time — hope.

“Besides, I think Emily would love to be reunited with her mother.” She smiles slyly, head nodding to indicate that she'd noticed the girl eavesdropping by the door.

“I -” Was it really worth going back to his old ways? When he'd had to lie and steal and cheat just to survive, when he'd done things he would never want Emily to know about, when he'd killed people just because he was told to. He glanced up at Emily, half hiding behind the door still, but looking straight at Corvo, sad eyes pleading with him to let her see her mother again.

He sighed. He'd do anything for her. “Alright. I'm in.”

* * *

 

The mark was back in Southampton. Corvo had never wanted to go back there after what had happened, but he had little choice. Delilah left with an almost malicious smile on her face, after he had accepted. As soon as she was gone, Emily walked straight up to him, tugged on his sleeve like she used to when she was little.

“Let me come.” She stared him in the eye, unflinching, and Corvo could see Jessamine’s determination reflected in her eyes. It hurt him more than he cared to admit. “Please?”

“No, no way.” He started gathering the glasses and Emily’s mug, rinsed them and put them on the rack to dry. “You’re too young, and it’s too dangerous.” _And I don’t want to expose you to my past._

“I’m fifteen.” Her voice had raised slightly, Corvo could hear the anger bubbling beneath the words. Emily very rarely got angry, but when she did, it was the type of anger that simmered like a dormant volcano, erupting with a vicious fury later on. Jessamine had been like that too.

“No, and I won’t hear any more about this.” He grabbed the keys to the truck off the hooks at the side of the refrigerator. “I’m heading into town, you wanna come with?”

“No.” She turned and headed up the stairs to her room.

He sighed. That was probably the best response he could have gotten, even though he had been hoping that a trip into town would cheer her up, as it usually did.

Corvo went ahead and picked up some essentials he would need for the trip; mostly perishables, dry food, petrol. The petrol had cost him quite a bit to trade for - almost 5 litres of milk for half as much petrol. The going rate for it was getting higher now that refineries were no longer running, and people were using up the remaining supply of oil. Still, he wasn't interested in hiking the entire way to Southampton, least of all because he didn't want to leave Emily alone for so long.

He stopped by Piero’s shop and asked if he could please come by the farm once in a while to check up on Emily, in return for letting him use the milk churn in the shed, and taking half of all the milk his cows produced while he was gone. The other man agreed readily, as Corvo guessed he would; the man enjoyed being around machines and animals more than he enjoyed being around people.

Piero was an engineer, whose talents were probably wasted in a small town like this one. He was exceptionally skilled at cobbling together fixes for broken technology using miscellaneous scraps, and people were always coming to him for his services, which always seemed to make him uncomfortable. Regardless, he was trustworthy enough that Corvo would entrust him with watching over his daughter.

By the time he drove back to the farm, it was late afternoon, and by the looks of things, Emily had remained in her room all day, not even coming out to have lunch. He made some sandwiches and brought them up to her room, knocking tentatively but remained outside.

“Em?” He paused, but she didn’t reply. “Honey, you need to have some food. I made your favourite.”

There was still no response. He opened the door and peered inside, careful not to drop the plates. She only had her nightlight on, and was already curled into her blankets, facing away from him, but he knew she wasn’t asleep yet.

Corvo placed one of the plates beside the nightlight and sat on the bed. He laid a hand on her blanket-covered shoulder, but she still didn't respond. “Em, c’mon. Don't be like this.”

She just curled deeper into the bed.

“Don't make me eat four sandwiches by myself, I don't wanna get fat.” A soft giggle came from underneath the covers.

“You're gonna need to roll me down the stairs once I'm done, help me out here, kid.” She actually laughed at that, and turned to punch him in the shoulder.

“Alright, alright.” She sat up and grabbed the plate from nightstand, and began munching on the sandwich. “Only ‘cos I'm starving.”

They sat eating in silence for a while, until they'd both polished the plates clean, then Emily swung her legs out over the bed to settle against Corvo’s side. “I'm still mad at you.”

“I know. You're still not coming along.” He watched as she pulled her knees up to her chin, feet resting on the bars of her bed, hugging her legs close. “You'll have the house to yourself for a few weeks, that'll be fun, right?”

“Sure. I'll have to do all your chores too, though.”

“You'll be okay. I've gotten Piero to drop by when he can. He can help you with the stuff in the shed.” She seemed to have accepted his decision now. He was relieved; he didn't want to have to leave while she was still mad at him.

“Okay.” She crawled back under the covers, preparing to sleep for real this time. “Are you going tomorrow?”

“Yeah. The quicker I get it done, the quicker I can get back.”

She hugged him sleepily, arms loose around his neck. “Good luck.”

-

Corvo got out of bed the next morning with intense reluctance. He hadn't dreamt about that night again, thankfully, but it still felt like he didn't get any sleep at all.

He piled the last of his things into the truck, attaching a tarp to the edges of the tray so they wouldn't get wet. Glancing back at the farm one last time, he got in, started the engine, and drove away. His gut felt heavy, like perhaps he wasn't going to see this place again, but he pushed the thought out of his mind.

After about an hour of driving, he hit a particularly nasty pothole, the truck bouncing hard on its suspension, and he almost hit his head on the roof. There was a squeak from the behind the back passenger seat. _Oh no…_

He pulled over, turned to face the back, and saw a lump covered with a blanket. Sighing, he pulled it out, revealing Emily with her knees curled up under her. She squeaked again, tried to grab the blanket back, but it was too late.

“Guess I'm busted,”she said flatly, and pushed herself off the floor into a more comfortable position on the seat.

“Emily, why?” he sighed, resigned. This was the last thing he expected, but it was too late to turn back now. He started the truck again, and she climbed into the front seat - a little more difficult for her now that she was taller than she used to be.

“I didn't wanna be alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again [@ashesintheair](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashesintheair) for editing!!
> 
> When I wrote this, I hadn't realized that Delilah is Jessamine's half sister. Corvo doesn't find out till Dishonored 2 anyway, so I guess it works out?


	3. A girl named Emily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corvo dreams about the past.

Sunlight shone through the window, bathing the room in warmth. Corvo was still asleep, floating in and out of wakefulness, too lazy to get up. Suddenly, something jumped on top of him, pulling the covers off and exposing his face to the light. He groaned, an arm coming up to shield his face, but someone pushed it away. 

"Dad, c'mon, it's Sunday! It's zoo day!" Five year old Emily bounced excitedly atop her father. 

"Yep." Corvo muttered, then turned his wrist up to check the time on his watch. "It's 7 in the morning, kid. Let your dad have a lie in." He tried to get his arm across his eyes again, but was again blocked, this time by Emily shoving her stuffed lion in the way. 

"Roary says you'll get more done if you get up early!" The lion was being buffeted upon his face. "I want to see the whole zoo!" 

"You see the whole zoo every month!" Corvo grumbled, grabbing the lion and holding it in place. He turned it so that it was now facing Emily. "Roary says... You're gonna get tickled if you wake your dad up too early!" 

He threw the toy at her and she shrieked, then bounded up and grabbed her, tickling her and blowing on her belly. She squealed with laughter, legs kicking the air. A large pillow hit him from behind, and Jessamine joined in on the tickle pile. After a few moments, both girls had Corvo pinned, and they were all breathless, still laughing. Jessamine threw the stuffed lion at his head. "Get up, you oaf." 

The rest of the day went by as a typical outing to the zoo did, with Emily leading her parents on to all the exhibits she wanted to see, and Corvo and Jessamine trailing close behind. Corvo was almost dead on his feet by midday, and was glad that Emily finally decided they should sit and have lunch. 

The wind rustled through the bushes, and the air was filled with the bustle of other families around them. There was nothing out of the ordinary... Or so he thought, as his head was suddenly pulled back, and a blade pressed against his exposed neck. His instincts kicked in, and his hand reached up to grab the assailant's face, but they were too quick, knocking his arm aside. His vision blurred, and, dimly, he could hear Emily screaming, Jessamine pulling her away, the chairs scraping on the ground. 

He brought a leg up to push against the table for leverage, trying to knock them back, and though his attacker held fast, he could feel them sliding. With another push, he knocked the table over, the momentum bringing him crashing down, and he let out a gasp as he tried to get his breath back. Holding his neck, he could feel a shallow cut there, his fingertips wet with his own blood. The other man groaned, having had his head knocked to the floor from the impact, and Corvo slammed his head down again before he had a chance to get up. 

A dim part of his mind reminded him that Jessamine and Emily were somewhere behind him, watching him, and it took a great measure of willpower not to punch the guy’s face to bits. Seeing as the man was now unconscious, Corvo sat back on his haunches, breathing hard. People around them had scattered, and zoo security had finally decided to show up, hauling the man away for the police to deal with, making sure him and his family were all right, and promising free lifetime entries for all of them. 

Jessamine was glaring darkly at him when he went over to them, a mixture of controlled anger and fear on her face as she tried her hardest to shield their daughter from it. She didn’t have to try very hard, as Emily was clutching Roary in one arm and her mother’s leg in the other, hiding her face as best as she could. She started crying when she saw Corvo, he could see her fighting the urge to run to him and the desire to stay with her mother, where she was safe. He picked her up, and she hugged him tight, her stuffed lion pressed against his neck as she cried against it. 

“Dad… I thought you were gonna-” She couldn’t even bring herself to finish the sentence, hiccuping sobs as she hid her face in her toy again. 

“It’s okay.” He smoothed her hair down, trying to comfort her. “I’m here now.” 

His other arm embraced Jessamine, who now was more relieved at his presence than anything. “Dammit, Corvo.” Her hand came up to brush the bandage on his neck. “You’ve really gotta stop doing those jobs.” 

A thud jolted him out of his sleep. He heard a faint gurgling from outside the window; a weeper had wandered too close to the truck and walked into a side mirror. Emily had heard it too, and to her credit, had made no noise. Her wide eyed terror was evident to Corvo even in the dim moonlight streaming through the glass, as the two of them sat perfectly still, waiting for the herd to pass by.

They went back to sleep two hours later - thirty minutes after they heard the last one walk past - and even then, Corvo was unable to remain asleep for very long, jumping awake every few minutes at some imagined noise. The wind was picking up outside, and sometimes he could hear Jessamine calling his name. He missed her voice, was sure this was just his mind playing tricks on him from lack of sleep. 

He tried not to think about the photo Delilah showed him, of her working in her lab like nothing was out of the ordinary. There had to be a catch, something he wasn’t seeing. It wasn’t like him to rush headlong into something he barely knew anything about.  But if there was even the slightest chance she was alive… He had to take it. He had to see for himself. 


	4. The Last of Us (You and Me)

It was pouring when they hit the off ramp, and the only light piercing through the darkness was the high beams from Corvo’s truck. The road reflected the shiny wetness, and he had to be careful not to drive too fast, in case the tires skidded on the wet road. Grass had grown over the pavement, in the areas he could see, and the road was in a state of disrepair, cracked and rough where no one had bothered to maintain it. He was used to that though, from driving on dirt paths in the last few years, so the bumping didn't bother him.

Beside him in the passenger seat, Emily was curled up in a blanket asleep, her knees drawn up and head resting on them, leaning sideways on the backrest. She had been quiet for most of the journey, alternating between suitably contrite for hiding in her father's truck, and grim determination to prove herself. He wished he could ask her what she was thinking, but even if he did, she wouldn't answer.

It had taken them the better part of three days to drive from Bristol back to Southampton, keeping mainly to the roads, and avoiding towns. At first, the main obstacle on the roads was driving around the abandoned vehicles, most of them rusted and broken down. But as they drove further, the debris started to clear, as if someone had been clearing the wreckage away.

The first night, they had parked in between a rusty van and a small sedan, Corvo getting out to see if he could scavenge anything of worth, while Emily kept watch in the truck. There hadn't been much, as he was expecting - people didn't really keep anything of worth in their cars - although he did find another crowbar (handy), some towels (could be useful), and a bottle of expired spirits (not for Emily).

The second night, Corvo had to find a clearing in the woods just off the road where they could park for the night. The highway was too empty for him to feel comfortable parking on the side, especially to spend the night, and as much as he hated being in the woods after dark, it was preferable to being exposed on the road overnight. That night was when the herd walked past them sleeping in the truck.

The rest of the next day had been a haze for him, and he found it so hard to stay awake that he unquestioningly accepted Emily's offer to drive so he could have a nap.

He was a bit surprised to find that he could still navigate through the streets, even though it had been years since he was here last, and despite the overgrowth and debris. The keys to the old workshop still hung from the keychain where he kept his car keys, a useless relic of the past, and he had considered throwing them away many times over the last five years. But now he was glad to have kept it, even if going back to the workshop would trigger some painful memories for him.

After all these years, he had never found out what happened to Daud, or Hiram, or any of the others. Their absence occupied a hollow space in his chest where his life used to be, beside the still open wound of his wife's death.

He parked the truck outside the workshop (because even though society had crumbled, he still didn't feel right not parking properly) and unlocked the rolling door to the workshop. It protested loudly, squealing on the hinges and stopped before he could lift it high enough. _The mechanism must have rusted over. Daud always meant to re-oil it at some point but never got around to it._

They went around to try the door. It unlocked easily, but seemed to be blocked on the other side, and he shouldered it to try and get it open. They heard boxes falling over behind it, crashing to the ground and sounding like they had contained heavy parts. Emily quickly ran over to re-stack them. “Hope no one heard that…” She whispered.

The office seemed mostly intact from when he’d left it five years ago, if a bit dusty. He was surprised no one had broken in and looted the place yet. They spent the night indoors, glad for the solid shelter and greater warmth.

Corvo prepared to head out the next morning. The rain had stopped momentarily, and the sun had come out, a rare occurrence these days. He was about to slip out when Emily called out, “Dad!” and he had to stop.

“You’re getting too sharp for your old man.” He dropped his bag on the floor, accepting the fact that he would have to bring her along now.

“What are we doing?”

He sat down with her to explain his plan. They needed to go back to the university, sneak in, get the cure (he wasn’t sure himself what that entailed - a vial? Was it data? A book?), and sneak back out, all hopefully without being detected. Delilah had told him that it was lightly guarded, that it would be a simple job, and he had no choice but to trust her.

They headed out on foot - driving the truck there would have been far too conspicuous - and it only took them about thirty minutes anyway. Corvo figured the patrols would be heavier at night, when they would be on high alert for weepers. They circled around the entrance to the side, to where he had cut a hole in that chain link fence five years ago. He tried not to dwell too much on that. Emily was silent as well, but he wasn’t sure if she recognized or remembered the significance of this particular spot.

Unsurprisingly, the fence had been fixed, but it was a small matter to cut the links again. They scrambled through as quietly as they could, Corvo first, so that he would be on the other side already if they were found. No one came, and they were both through. The first door they came to was locked, but Corvo picked it without much trouble, and they went inside.

The halls were dimly lit, dust floating in the air where the light shone through. Tarps hung from the ceiling to cover rooms where walls had fallen over. It seemed to be deserted, and they crept forward quietly. At the end of the hallway, they went up a flight of stairs, into another corridor in a similar state. Corvo could hear some bustle on this floor though, and he signalled Emily to stay quiet.

Halfway down the corridor, he saw a guard a few meters ahead, leaning against the wall yawning, with an assault rifle slung across his shoulder with a strap. As they got closer however, to his surprise he actually recognized the man.

“Daud?” Corvo called out as they got closer.

The other man snapped his head toward them, hands reaching for his gun, but relief crossed his face when he saw who it was. “Oh my god, Corvo?” They moved forward into a quick embrace, each of them relieved to see that the other was alive.

“And Emily too, god you’re big now.” Daud said, and despite that still placed a hand on her head, scruffing up the beanie she wore. Emily pushed his hand away, but Corvo could see that she was happy to see him too.

Daud leaned forward. “What are you doing here? I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.”

Corvo’s face darkened. “Listen, I’m here for something. So you can either help me, or you can get out of my way.”

“Is this about Jess?” Daud grabbed his arm roughly, his grip hard on Corvo’s bicep. “I don’t know what drivel Delilah fed you, but it’s not true.”

Corvo shoved Daud’s hand away angrily. “How do you know about this?”

“I figure that’s the only reason you’d be back here.” He nods toward Emily, who was trying to remain out of sight. “The only reason you’d come back here with her.”

“So are you gonna help me or not?” Corvo’s low growl meant he was teetering on the edge of violence.

Daud backed away, hands held up peacefully. “Best I can do is just pretend you were never here.” It was then that Corvo realized he had unconsciously reached for the pistol behind him, tucked into his belt. _Shit._ Emily would have seen that, standing there behind him, and as much as he wanted to shelter her from this aspect of his past, it looked like it was too late now.

They made to move past him, when Daud said, “Just remember what I told you. You’re in too deep now to get out though.” Corvo ignored him.

As they made their way up to the door, he led Emily behind him, and turned around to face her. “I want you to stay out here, with Uncle Daud.”

But Emily was already shaking her head in protest as soon as he began to speak. “No! I want to help you!” She unstrapped the cricket bat from her backpack, gripping the handle in both hands. He sighed - there was little choice left to him.

“Alright, but I want you to stay five paces away from me at all times.” He gripped her shoulder. “If anything looks like it’s about to go wrong - anything at all - I want you to run out here and get Uncle Daud, okay?”

“But, he just said-”

“Come out here and get him.” He said firmly. Corvo had his doubts about Daud, but he knew the man was at least good enough to help a little girl. And as much as he seemed to want to stay out of things, Corvo knew that he would help a friend.

“I’m going in now. Wait ten seconds and come in after me.” He readied the gun in his hand.

“Remember what I taught you about sneaking up on deer? In the forest?” Emily nodded. “It’ll be the same.”

He opened the door and crept in quietly, leaving it slightly ajar for Emily to follow behind him. The stench that blasted him was almost overwhelming, and he could barely see save for the spotlights in the middle of the room. There were dead rats on the ground, scattered around a cage that was under the light. A faint weeping was coming from inside it, and to Corvo’s horror, it sounded vaguely familiar.

“Jess?” He called out softly, his voice raw with emotion.

The weeping stopped, but the figure padded to the bars of the cage, wrapping its bone thin fingers around the metal. It hissed softly at the light, eyes tracking Corvo as he moved forward. Its cheeks and eyes were sunken, a dull grey around pale skin, but he could still recognize her - it was Jessamine.

“No… what have they done.” His chest tightened, a hand coming up to wrap around one of the creature's that was clutching the bar, but it hissed sharply, lunging forward to try and take a bite out of it. He had no choice but to jerk his hand back.

“Dammit!” There wasn't much time. Emily would be coming in behind him very soon, and he had to make a decision. Gritting his teeth, he brought up his gun in between the bars, where its head was, and as he predicted, it began gnawing on the barrel, gurgling as it tried to chew it. “I'm sorry.”

Gritting his teeth, he pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing in the room, and the creature fell back, black bile spilling out the back of its head. Behind him, he heard Emily jump at the sound, surprised at the reverberating loudness of it.

“What was that?” she whispered.

“Stay back, it could still be alive.” He knew it wasn't, but she didn't have to see it. “Don't touch anything.”

Looking around the room now, he could see a computer running in the corner, with a bunch of folders on the desktop. A cursory glance told him nothing, so he decided to just plug in the USB drive and copy the lot. Thankfully, it didn't take very long, and they left after a few minutes, Corvo again shielding Emily from the cage as best as he could.

They managed to leave the building without too much trouble, only needing to hide for a few minutes to wait for a patrol to pass, after Daud had let them go again. By the time they walked back to the workshop again, it was just coming to noon, and finally Corvo felt himself let go of the tension in his shoulders.

He tried not to think about that… _thing_ … he had seen in the cage, refused to acknowledge that it was his wife. Jessamine was dead, she had died five years ago. Nothing had changed.

As they rounded the bend into the driveway, he saw a familiar car parked next to his truck, the one Delilah had come in when she visited their house back in Bristol. He wasn't expecting to see her again so soon, had thought that she would be meeting them there again to retrieve what he'd just stolen for her, but it seemed that she was too eager to get her hands on it.

She was waiting for them beside the garage door. A light drizzle had begun, but she seemed nonplussed by it. “Mr. Attano, so glad to see you again.” She ignored Emily, who had come up behind Corvo. “I trust you have what I need?”

“Yeah.” He unslung his backpack and took out the USB drive. She held a hand out, expecting him to drop it there, but he clenched his fist around it, gritting his teeth. “I saw what they were keeping there. You think this is some kind of sick joke?”

“Far from it, Mr. Attano. It was the only way I could get you to co-operate, and I'm glad it didn't take you much convincing.” She smiled at him viciously, hand still held out. “I never promised she would be in any state of mind to recognize you. All I did was show you a photo from old security footage.”

He growled, but dropped the USB key in her hand. “We're done. The next time we meet, you're a dead woman.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Attano.” She slipped the key into a pocket, and brought up a pistol in the other hand. “I don't think we will be meeting again.”

His eyes widened, reaching for the gun in his belt, but it was already too late. A gunshot rang out, but to Corvo’s surprise, he wasn’t in pain, though his ears were ringing. Behind him, Emily had grabbed his gun, and shot Delilah in the shoulder. She fell back screaming, a hand clutching the bloody mess. Corvo ran to kick the gun out of her hands, before she could bring it up to aim at them.

Emily was trembling, her arms still locked together holding the gun in her hands, and Corvo had to pry it slowly out of her fingers. She was breathing fast, eyes unfocused.

“Hey, hey, c’mere baby girl.” He wrapped her in his arms, and he could feel for a split second her hesitance, because she's fifteen now and far too old (in her mind) to be sobbing into daddy's arms. But he blinked and it was gone, and she almost shrinks into him, fingers gripping at his dirty flannel shirt as her chest heaved with dry sobs. He felt her shuddering as eventually she starts crying properly, and it is all he can do for her in this moment, a pillar of solidity to cling on to in a hurricane.

“I'm so sorry Dad, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-” She choked out in between gasping breaths, head buried in her father's chest.

“It's okay,” He rubbed her back gently. “We're okay now.”

Delilah was still writhing on the ground in front of them, but she managed to prop herself up on her good arm, feeling around on the floor for the pistol that Corvo kicked away.

“Look away, baby.” Corvo whispered, and Emily turned her head, burying it in his shoulder. He wasn’t exactly ambidextrous, but Delilah was in point blank range, and he would gladly suffer a bit of kickback on his left arm than let Emily go in this moment. He brought his gun up and fired, directly at Delilah’s head, before she could do it to him. His arm tightened around Emily as he felt her flinch at the gunshot.

The woman fell back with a thud, and Corvo had to consciously lower his shaking arm to put the gun down safely, rather than let it fall from his hand. Emily has stopped crying now, the look of grim determination on her face only betrayed by how wet her eyes are.

“That was…” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling. “That was Mom in the lab, wasn’t it?”

“No.” He gripped her arm, wanting, hoping beyond all belief that she would believe him, that he could somehow impart some of that through their contact. “She died five years ago. It was a mistake to come back here. I’m sorry.”

“Are you okay?”

Emily only threw her arms around him again, sagging against him. That was all the answer he needed.

* * *

As the truck pulled out of the lot the next morning, Emily leaned her head against the glass of the window, watching the city disappear under the thickening blanket of rain that had begun.

She knew what she saw. She had decided to follow after her father earlier than he had told her to, had seen him call her name, and seen what was left of his hope torn to shreds before her eyes. It brought back memories of the night five years ago, something she had tried so hard to forget, but couldn’t. Some part of her didn’t want to.

She could keep pretending that she believed him. Perhaps one day, when the years that passed were enough to cloud her memories, she would actually believe it.


End file.
